y.

The ancestral home of Kunhali Maraikkar, after and before renovation.

The staircase captured from a Portuguese Ship on the event of one of Marakkar’s victory over Portuguese. Madonna can be seen engraved on it. It is kept in the Kottakkal juma masjid and used as a platform during the ‘juma’ prayer.

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A sketch of Marakkar Fort found in a Portuguese document

The Dutch defeated the Portuguese in 1663, invited in by the locals discontented with the Portuguese. Among other things they took over a 16th century palace from the Portuguese which has become known as "The Dutch Palace". After some improvements they presented it to the Raja. It is now a museum displaying not only it's own unique construction methods, especially Kerala flooring, but also some of the best mythological murals in India. The flooring, which looks like polished black marble, is actually a mixture of burned coconut shells, charcoal, lime, plant juices and egg whites.

Dutch India

Dutch India is a term used to refer to the settlements and trading posts of the Dutch East India Company on the Indian subcontinent. It is only used as a geographical definition, as there has never been a political authority ruling all Dutch India. Instead, Dutch India was divided in the governorates Dutch Ceylon and Dutch Coromandel, the commandment Dutch Malabar, and the directorates Dutch Bengal and Dutch Suratte.

History

Dutch presence on the Indian subcontinent lasted from 1605 and 1825. Merchants of the Dutch East India Company first established themselves in Dutch Coromandel, notably Pulicat, as they were looking for textiles to exchange with the spices they traded in the East Indies. Dutch Suratte and Dutch Bengal succeeded in 1616 and 1627 respectively. After the Dutch conquered Ceylon from the Portuguese in 1656, they took the Portuguese forts on the Malabar coast five years later as well, to secure Ceylon from Portuguese invasion.

Apart from textiles, the items traded in Dutch India include precious stones, indigo, and silk across India, saltpeter and opium in Dutch Bengal, and pepper in Dutch Malabar. Indian slaves were imported on the Spice Islands and in the Cape Colony.

In the second half of the eighteenth century the Dutch lost their influence more and more. The Kew Letters relinquished all Dutch colonies to the British, to prevent them from being overrun by the French. Although Dutch Coromandel and Dutch Bengal were restored to Dutch rule by vitue of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, they returned to British rule owing to the provisions of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. In 1825, the Dutch had lost their last trading post in India.

Not much of people know, thatthere was a bloody Coup d'état for the Cochin Throne between two princes, H.H Goda Varma II and Veera Kerala Varma V

It was for the first time, in the royal family, a terrible feud occuring, which went on into a full scale civil war between two sections. Initially Dutch Government in Fort Kochi, were reluctant to interfere into the issue, considering the issue being an internal matter of Royal family.

However, in 1662, it intervened, after receiving intelligence reports, that the reigining Ruler- H.H Goda Varma Raja II has a strong support of Zamorin and Calicut is funding heavily to make Cochin aligned to the Zamorin.

Dutch Governor Hendrik Van Rheede along with a huge Dutch Army, met Cochin Army which supported Goda Varma II and had an intense battle at Kalavetty Palace grounds. Meantime, Hendrik and a huge force, stormed into Kalavetty Palace, to arrest H.H The Queen of Kochi and placed her custody at Malabar House (the modern Malabar House hotel in Fort Kochi)

It later turned out, the move of Hendrik was to make Queen name her first Brother Veera Kerala Varma as the new King, which resulted in arrest of Goda Varma II and displaced him from Throne.

The Dutch Intervention helped Kochi to remain as one state, which otherwise would have divided into two states.....

7.Base and Pedestal of Stone Cross, Kaduthuruthy (Kaduthurutti) Date unknown: circa 1599, but possibly based on pre-Portuguese models Kerala, India Ricci 7 KP India 06 266 This cross is said to have been consecrated by the Portuguese Archbishop of Goa, Alexis de Menezes in 1559. It shows various unidentified scenes, along with portrait heads and elephants, and fleur-de-lis crosses in the lower panels.

Base and Pedestal of Stone Cross, Kaduthuruthy (Kaduthurutti)Date unknown: circa 1599, but possibly based on pre-Portuguese modelsKerala, IndiaThis cross is said to have been consecrated by the Portuguese Archbishop of Goa, Alexis de Menezes in 1559. It shows various unidentified scenes, along with portrait heads and elephants, and fleur-de-lis crosses in the lower panels.

Fort St. Angelo, an early sea-facing stronghold built by the Portuguese, still stands.

The fort stands at the edge of the sea, overlooking some fishing villages. It feels ominously quiet, and one can hear the waves on the rocks below

The royal Crown of Kochi.

One of the most famous and expensive crowns in the country, the Cochin Crown was presented by Emperor Immanuel of Portugal to H.H Veera Kerala Varma Maharaja of Kochi on his coronation day. Especially designed by leading Portuguese royal jewellers of Lisbon, this crown is made of pure gold, studded with 101 diamonds, 301 rubies and 1001 several precious stones, as per Hindu texts, based on a model design of Kulashekara Crowns (the Chera Imperial Crown)

The crown was presented by Portuguese Governor to the Maharaja on his coronation day. But Veera Kerala Varma, found the crown to be too extravagant to his simple tastes and hence didn't prefer to adorn it. He couldn't refuse it, being presented as royal gift, which was a symbol/token of friendship.

Hence he adorn the crown on his lap and ever since that, no Kochi Kings ever worn the crown, rather kept on their right laps, during royal functions.

The crown is well preserved along with other Crown jewels at Hill Palace Museum in Tripunithara.

The Dutch Generals where considered to be most trusted loyalists of Kochi Kings. As a result, they are invited for all Durbar meets at Kochi Palace.

The lithograph shows the grand receptions accorded to Dutch Governors for their attendance at Kochi Durbars.

1813

Cochin Jews

Chera Emperor Mahamahan Sri Sri Bhaskara Varman Thiruvadikal, issuing Copper Grants to Jewsto fled from Israel due to West Asian conflicts in 750 AD, to Joseph Rabban. The Copper plant granted Jews to reside freely in Chera terrorities and settled down in Anjavaram near North Paravur for construction of 72 houses and own as free citizens without any discrimination and with full privileges of worship. The Joseph Rabban was also designated title- Thampuran- Prince of Jews.

The grant issued to Joseph, written in ancient Sangam Tamil-Malayalam language.

It read as

Cita:

We have granted to Joseph Rabban the village of Anjuvannam together with the 72 proprietary rights, tolls on boats and carts, the revenue and title of Anjuvannam, the lamp of the day, a cloth spread in front to walk on, a palanquin, a parasol, a Vaduga (i.e., Teluge) drum, a trumpet, a gate way, a garland, decoration with festoons, and so forth.

"We have granted him the land tax and weight tax; moreover, we have sanctioned with these copper plates that he need not pay the dues which the inhabitants of the other cities pay the Royal palace, and that he may enjoy the benefits which they enjoy. To Joseph Rabban the Prince of Anjuvannam and to his descendants sons and daughters and to his nephews, and to the sons-in-law who married his daughters in natural succession. So long as the world and moon exist, Anjuvannam shall be his hereditary possession. Hail

Picture of Fort Kochi in 1640s

Fort Kochi was once capital of Portuguese India and later Dutch India. The grand fort at Kochi, was built in 1503 by Portuguese as Fort Immanuel, in honour of the Great Portuguese Emperor- King Immanuel. The terroritory marked the first terroritory in India, to be managed by Europeans, granted byH.H Unni Goda Varma Thirumalpadu Maharaja of Kochi(Trimumpara Raja in Portuguese records) as a silver grant toAfonso de Albuquerque, the first Head of Portuguese India and second Portuguese Governor.

The glory of Fort Kochi was enshrined, when Portuguese adopted the First Bastion of the fort, in their emblem, which remained as Seal of Portuguese India till 1950s.

Paintings of Dutch Kochi, when a large fleet of Dutch ships anchored at Kochi Harbour.

Duarte Pacheco's seventh and final victory over the Zamorin (1840 lithograph)

This is the map prepared by City Officials of City Government of Kochi in 1777, at the time of handing over the city to British. The Map is completely hand drawn with colouring.

One can clearly see the St. Francis Church, The Stomsburg Fort (now only Bastion Bungalow remains), the Grand Fort Kochi Bastion with the Dutch Tricolor, and Bunton Boatyard.

In Mattancherry, one can identify the Mattancherry Palace, standing alone, while today its filled with residential areas. The Chempittapilly Mosque is also represented in map, so the Lighthouse at Vyppen.

The Map also describe the shallow regions of Sand Bar and deeper areas, which allows slightly bigger ships inside....

depiction of small Indian boats on the Malabar Coast published in 1752 for inclusion in The Universal Traveller; or a Compleat Description of the Several Nations of the World, a popular survey of the cultures and geography of the world by Thomas Salmon (1679-1767). The images, however, date to the 16th century, originating in the famous Itinerario of Jan Huygen van Linschoten (1562-1611), an account of his journey to the Indian Peninsula during the height of Portuguese power in Asia. Faithfully reengraved after the 16th century original plate, this iconic image of the King of Cochin seated atop his elephant with his fearsome warriors was one of the best known images of India in western Europe for the better part of two centuries. It is a testimony to the influence Linschoten's work had on European conceptions of India that his images

The most far reaching US intervention into India's domestic policies during Bunker's New Delhi tenure came in Kerala. The CPI's success in Kerala had marked the first time a communist government had come to power anywhere in the world in a free and fair vote. As Dennis Kux (retired State Department South Asia specialist) had pointed out, the election results "rang alarm bells in Washington", where "preventing additional Keralas became an important argument for augmenting US assistance to India".

The Eisenhover administration at first adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the CPI state government, but soon became more hostile. Bunker's embassy concurred with Washington's approach and made recommendations for implementing it. Eventually, a clandestine CIA operation was mounted to help dislodge the communists from power. This apparently involved agency funding for political demonstrations organised by the Congress Party and other opposition groups, that were designed to create a law and order situation sufficiently chaotic to justify the central government's dismissal of the Kerala administration. Citing such internal turmoil, New Delhi forced the communists out in 1959.

The CIA's role in Kerala did not surface until Daniel Patrick Moynihan who was ambassador to India in the early 1970s admitted this in his 1978 book 'A Dangerous Place'. The disclosure caused an uproar in India, especially since Moynihan had pointed to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the recipient of clandestine funds. Gandhi who by then was the prime minister often denounced the CIA had been the president of the ruling Congress Party when the Kerala communists were ousted. She had aggressively called for their dismissal and persuaded the central government led by her father Jawaharlal Nehru to accept her position. She aggressively termed Moynihan allegations "malicious, motivated and absolutely baseless", but he stood by it.

Ellsworth Bunker
1894-1984

Born in Yonkers, New York, Ellsworth Bunker was a businessman who became a diplomat and was best-known for his role as U.S. ambassador to Vietnam from 1967 to 1973. Serving during the years of peak U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, he played a major role in making policy. Bunker began his diplomatic career as ambassador to Argentina in 1951 and subsequently served in Italy from 1952 to 1953 and India from 1956 to 1961. In an oral history interview he gave soon after Moynihan's book was published, Bunker admitted his own involvement. He expressed no regrets about the operation. He contended that the CIA had provided financial assistance to the Congress Party because the embassy had hard evidence that the Soviets were funding the local communists, "as they have done everywhere in the world, But as we have done elsewhere in the world," he went on, "we have come to the assistance of our friends when we knew and had evidence (of) what the Communists were doing financially and otherwise".

Bunker said the decision to provide funds was made "in Washington. But then I had leeways[sic] and discretion as to how it might be done and in what amounts." He recalled that S K Patil, not Indira Gandhi had been the intermediary. The agency, he said had had "very good and very close relation with Indian intelligence and was able to get from them pretty good evidence as to what was going on and in what amounts."

The outstanding American statesman senator Patrick Moynihan who served as an ambassador for a term to India was only conforming the general perception when te admitted in his memoirs that the CIA had generously financed the so called notorious Liberation struggle (Vimochana Samaram) against the first EMS ministry.

We had twice, but only twice, interfered in Indian politics to the extent of providing money to a political party. Both times this was done in the face of a prospective communist victory in state elections, once in Kerala and once in West Bengal, where Calcutta is located. Both times the money was given to the Congress Party which had asked for it

The CIA Hand

The most far reaching US intervention into India's domestic policies during Bunker's New Delhi tenure came in Kerala. The CPI's success in Kerala had marked the first time a communist government had come to power anywhere in the world in a free and fair vote. As Dennis Kux (retired State Department South Asia specialist) had pointed out, the election results "rang alarm bells in Washington", where "preventing additional Keralas became an important argument for augmenting US assistance to India".

The Eisenhover administration at first adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the CPI state government, but soon became more hostile. Bunker's embassy concurred with Washington's approach and made recommendations for implementing it. Eventually, a clandestine CIA operation was mounted to help dislodge the communists from power. This apparently involved agency funding for political demonstrations organised by the Congress Party and other opposition groups, that were designed to create a law and order situation sufficiently chaotic to justify the central government's dismissal of the Kerala administration. Citing such internal turmoil, New Delhi forced the communists out in 1959.

The CIA's role in Kerala did not surface until Daniel Patrick Moynihan who was ambassador to India in the early 1970s admitted this in his 1978 book A Dangerous Place. The disclosure caused an uproar in India, especially since Moynihan had pointed to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the recipient of clandestine funds. Gandhi who by then was the prime minister often denounced the CIA had been the president of the ruling Congress Party when the Kerala communists were ousted. She had aggressively called for their dismissal and persuaded the central government led by her father Jawaharlal Nehru to accept her position. She aggressively termed Moynihan allegations "malicious, motivated and absolutely baseless", but he stood by it.

In an oral history interview he gave soon after Moynihan's book was published, Bunker admitted his own involvement. He expressed no regrets about the operation. He contended that the CIA had provided financial assistance to the Congress Party because the embassy had hard evidence that the Soviets were funding the local communists, "as they have done everywhere in the world,…But as we have done elsewhere in the world," he went on, "we have come to the assistance of our friends when we knew and had evidence (of) what the Communists were doing financially and otherwise".

Bunker said the decision to provide funds was made "in Washington…But then I had leeways[sic] and discretion as to how it might be done and in what amounts." He recalled that S K Patil, not Indira Gandhi had been the intermediary. The agency, he said had had "very good and very close relation with Indian intelligence and was able to get from them pretty good evidence as to what was going on and in what amounts."